Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Iberville, Pierre le Moyne, sieur d'

(Encyclopedia)Iberville, Pierre le Moyne, sieur d' pyĕr lə mwän syör dēbĕrvēlˈ [key], 1661–1706, French Canadian naval officer, founder of the French territory of Louisiana, b. Ville Marie (in present Mon...

Anticosti

(Encyclopedia)Anticosti ăntĭkŏsˈtē [key], low, flat island, 135 mi (217 km) long and 10 to 30 mi (16–48 km) wide, E Que., Canada, at the head of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The isl...

Brown Swiss cattle

(Encyclopedia)Brown Swiss cattle, one of the oldest breeds of cattle, originating in Switzerland where the cows were used as triple-purpose animals (dairy, beef, and draft). They are large, fleshy, and slow-maturin...

Spotted swine

(Encyclopedia)Spotted swine, breed that is predominantly black with many white spots. Except for its additional white coloring, it is much like the Poland China swine, which together with Gloucester Old Spot hogs f...

Cerberus

(Encyclopedia)Cerberus sûrˈbərəs [key], in Greek mythology, many-headed dog with a mane and a tail of snakes; offspring of Typhon and Echidna. He guarded the entrance of Hades. One of the 12 labors of Hercules ...

Corte Real, Gaspar

(Encyclopedia)Corte Real or Corte-Real, Gaspar gəshpärˈ kôrˈtə rĕälˈ [key], c.1450–1501?, Portuguese explorer. Sent by King Manuel I to search for the Northwest Passage, he is said to have discovered Gre...

Duroc swine

(Encyclopedia)Duroc swine dŭˈrŏk, do͞oˈ– [key], breed originating during the 1800s in the NE United States from crosses among a number of red strains existing in that region. One of the most numerous breeds,...

Rhode Island Red chicken

(Encyclopedia)Rhode Island Red chicken, American breed of poultry, no longer raised commercially, but still maintained for use in breeding programs. See Red Rock chicken. ...

Procyon

(Encyclopedia)Procyon prōˈsēŏnˌ [key], brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor; Bayer designation α Canis Minoris; 1992 position R.A. 7h38.9m, Dec.+5°15′. A yellow-white star of spectral class F5 I...

Ollivant, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Ollivant, Alfred, 1874–1927, English novelist. He wrote the classic dog story Bob, Son of Battle (1898), published in England as Owd Bob. Other works include The Gentleman (1908), The Royal Road (19...

Browse by Subject